New Charger Daytona Scat Pack offers full-length glass roof and large rear hatch
Dodge unveiled its next-generation muscle car this week, confirming what enthusiasts have known (and largely dreaded) for years. Like so many brands, Dodge is charging ahead with an electric product plan, starting with its 2024 Charger Daytona R/T and Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The raw numbers — that we know so far — are impressive: 496 horsepower from the R/T, 670 horsepower from the Scat Pack, with a claimed zero-to-60 time of 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds for the Scat Pack.
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack produces 670 horsepower
What We Know: Impressive Tech Pedigree
Both models come with standard all-wheel drive and a range of advanced features like Donut Mode and Drift Mode driver settings, a “Power Shot” 40 hp boost that lasts 15 seconds, and a data recorder synchronized with video and audio recordings. Speaking of audio, these electric muscle cars offer “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” noises, making them sound like an internal combustion vehicle. A head up display, a 16-inch digital gauge cluster, and advanced driver-assist features — never seen on any previous Charger — confirm the high-tech nature of Dodge’s newest muscle cars.
Charger Daytona features a 400V propulsion system with a 100.5 kW battery pack
What We Don’t Know: Weight and Cost
So we know the new cars are fast. And, personally, I think they look good. We also know they have either a 260-mile range (Charger Daytona Scat Pack) or 317-mile range (Charger Daytona R/T) provided by a 100.5 kW battery that charges from 20 to 80 percent in 27 minutes — assuming the driver can access a different kind of fast charger. But that kind of range, from that size of battery, involves two unavoidable realities — cost and weight. Dodge hasn’t released those figures, but expect them to be high. I’m going to guess over 5,000 pounds and at least a $60,000 starting price.
Four-door Dodge Charger Daytona R/T offers 38.5 cubic feet of cargo space
Those figures don’t suggest the new Dodge Chargers won’t feel fast. And they don’t mean these cars won’t find buyers willing to pay their elevated price. But in a world high interest rates, stubborn inflation rates, plateauing EV sales, and increasingly apprehensive middle-class consumers, it does have me wondering how big the new Charger’s buyer base can be? The nature of its drivetrain and the higher cost will likely be a bridge too far for the majority of current Dodge fans to cross. The comments on Dodge’s unveil video for the new Charger are not encouraging...
Flat top/flat bottom steering wheel straddles large display screens in new Charger cabin
Compliance Cars Pre-Empt Combustion Cars?
If the story of Dodge’s performance future ended with these electric models, I’d be extremely worried. But the company is smart enough to not put all its eggs in the EV basket. The twin-turbocharged inline 6 “Hurricane” engine that is already proving itself in various Jeep and Ram models will return in the 2025 Charger — hopefully without a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. The Hurricane is a very power-dense engine, offering 550 horsepower from 3.0 liters, and much better fuel efficiency than the outgoing Hemi V8.
Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack features 20-inch wheels
We’ll see where the 2025 internal-combustion-powered Charger lands in terms of cost and weight. And we’ll see if a non-V8 Charger, with a non-amplifier-powered exhaust note, still resonates with Dodge’s traditional buyer base. But like many Dodge fans, I’m pining for the return of a V8. Maybe in a future, limited edition Challenger, offered in such low volumes it can’t hurt Dodge EPA-compliance efforts. Because we all know a free-market-driven Dodge wouldn’t be taking this route. And we all know the same is true for most traditional car brands launching EVs today.
Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O. with a 3.0-liter, Twin Turbo Hurricane engine
Does the Market Still Have a Say?
We’ve seen plenty of “pivots” recently, whether it’s GM and Mercedes-Benz backing off their all-in EV plans, or Ford claiming it will build V8s for as long as customers want them, all based on market response to EVs. Stellantis (Dodge’s parent company) engineers allowed for internal combustion drivetrains when designing the new Charger’s platform. Did they know the unrealistic rush to EVs would be short-lived? Does the consumer still have a say in what automakers build? I have a feeling we’re going to find out, sooner than later, and the last few months have been encouraging.
